First Lady, VP do nation proud

Yoliswa Dube Features Reporter
THEIR life stories read like fairy tales — starting off from humble beginnings to a chapter of defying all odds to achieve the somewhat unimaginable. First Lady Umama Grace Mugabe and Vice President Joice Mujuru fit the bill of dreamers who finally discovered the art of bridging abstract thought and reality. They have proved modest backgrounds will never deter a determined spirit.

Last week, the two graduated with Doctor of Philosophy degrees at the 59th University of Zimbabwe graduation ceremony.
Umama Mugabe’s thesis focused on the changing social structure and functions of the family. She conducted a case study on children’s homes in Zimbabwe.
VP Mujuru’s thesis was on the exploratory study of agricultural business.

The First Lady attained her first degree in Chinese Language in 2011 at the People’s University of China. She also continued philanthropic work that saw her establish a children’s home in Mazowe and next to the orphanage a massive state of the art school she put together with the President. She is also on the verge of becoming Zanu-PF Women’s League Secretary following her nomination.

Dr Mugabe said her area of study would help her fine-tune her work in assisting the underprivileged, particularly children.
“I studied something related to the work l do every day. I wanted to know what happens in society to the extent of having many children being abandoned.”

On the other hand, VP Mujuru grew up in rural Mount Darwin with a very modest educational background. She fought in the liberation struggle and immediately got down to studying soon after the country attained its independence. She now holds a degree in Strategic Management from the Women’s University of Africa and a Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurial Development from Chinhoyi University of Technology. She also became Zimbabwe’s first female Vice President in 2004. The attainment of a doctorate marked another milestone in her education journey. The VP said her study centered on agri-business and entrepreneurship. She urged Zimbabweans to emulate Indians’ business philosophy.

“You give an Indian $10, he starts thinking of a business of some sort, but you give $1,000 to our locals, he or she starts thinking of upgrading their wardrobes, or planning holiday trips.”